Apparatus for conditioning game area surfaces



March 15, 1966 N. w. DOUGLAS, JR., ETAL 3,239,870

APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING GAME AREA SURFACES Filed Dec. 9, 1963 g/SO Lesl

FIG.4

United States Patent @fl-ice 3,239,870 Patented Mar. 15, 1966 3,239,870 APPARATUS FOR CNDITINING GAME AREA SURFACES Neil W. Douglas, lr., 493i Estero Place, and .lames F. Welzbacller, ill?, @ldham Drive, both of rlloledo, @lilo Filed Dec. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 329,124 4 Claims. (Cl. 15-549) This invention relates to surface conditioning in general, and in particular to apparatus for conditioning a game surface such as a bowling alley.

In this expanding era of amateur and professional competition in the area of sports much time, eort and money has been expended in attempting to provide the best possible playing equipment to aid the participant in obtaining the best results. In addition to further developing the playing equipment much attention has been paid to maintaining the game area surfaces in a condition to provide maximum scores from consistent efforts by the participant. For example, in bowling the first eighteen feet of a bowling lane have been formed of the hardest woods available to reduce the marking and scarring of the lane received from the impact of the bowling bail as it is being delivered. Further efforts have been made to condition the surface of the lanes themselves by various cleaning, bulllng and dusting methods as well as improved finishes to provide as nearly the same condition at vall bowling times.

lt has been found that one of the better methods of conditioning the lane surface may be accomplished by automatic machines which are positioned over each alley and which automatically traverse the alley from one end to the other cleaning and bulllng the surface as they proceed and applying a conditioner fluid, normally of high oil content, as the machine proceeds along the alley. However, this automatic machinery, although much quicker than manually performing the same operation, still requires such a great amount of time that it can only be utilized for example, once a day whenever the lanes are opened in the morning. It is, of course, impossible to perform such automatic machine conditioning between league shifts in bowling because of the time involved. Therefore, if a bowler engaged in league bowling wishes to practice during an open bowling period, normally during the daytime hours, he may do so but when he returns for his evening bowling shift he will find that the bowling ball will react differently to the same delivery he was utilizing in the morning. That is, a hook, for example, will hook more sharply after the lanes have been used for a considerable length of time than immediately after the lanes were opened in the morning.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus for conditioning game surfaces.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus for conditioning game surfaces to provide a user of the surface the same reaction to the impact of the game object on the surface continuously during a use of the surfaces between periodic cleaning.

To accomplish the above objects a conditioner attachment for a game surface cleaner may be utilized which comprises a laterally extending absorbent applicator, a conditioner fluid storage means, conduit means for conducting iluid to the absorbent applicator and means for selectively controlling the flow of the conditioner fluid to the applicator.

The above-described attachment may be utilized in the method of conditioning a game surface which comprises the steps of cleaning the surface periodically, applying a conditioner fluid to the surface immediately after the cleaning step and reapplying the conditioner fluid to the surface at predetermined intervals in the period between the cleaning steps.

Gther objects, advantages and features of this invention will become apparent when the following description is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an attachment ernbodying the teachings of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional plan view of the attachment shown in FIG. 1 taken at lines II-Il;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional View of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2 taken at lines III-III; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of apparatus embodying the teachings of this invention shown in FIG. 3 taken at IV-IV.

Referring to the drawings there is shown in FIG. 1 a side elevational view of apparatus embodying the teachings of this invention in which an attachment is used which may be secured to one of the commonly used clusters now utilized by bowling alley proprietors for dusting the alleys or lanes between each series of games or between league shifts. Since the dusting equipment does not comprise a part of the apparatus portion of this invention it has been shown in dotted lines to represent the variety of dusters that `are currently available on the market.

As briefly described hereinbefore, the method of this invention of conditioning a game surface comprises the steps of cleaning the surface periodically, applying a conditioner fluid to said surface immediately after said cleaning step (either manually or by use of the automatic machines currently available on the market as discussed above), and reapplying the conditioner fluid to the surface at predetermined intervals in the period between the cleaning steps. For example, the automatic cleaning or a thorough manual cleaning is performed in the morning when the lanes open. After the lanes have received a specified amount of use the conditioner fluid is reapplied with, for example, an applicator such as shown in the drawings, to restore the surfaces to the same condition they were in after the thorough cleaning step was performed.

It may also be desirable in the periodic cleaning to provide a bulfing `step .to remove dirt from the surface that was not easily removed by the cleaning step.

Since in the game of bowling the ball establishes its trajectory down the alley primarily `at and shortly after its impact w-ithl the alley it may be necessary only to reapply the conditioner fluid to the impact area (normally the first eighteen feet of hardwood surface) and only dusting the remainder of the lane.

The method of conditioning the game surface or lane also naturally depends upon .the material used for the lanes, the finish applied to the lanes and the type of conditioner fluid used. Thus it may be desirable to dust the initial eighteen feet as well as the remainder of the lane and reapply the conditioner fluid to the initial eighteen feet only or to the entire course of the lane depending upon the variables discussed. However, the most important and the most novel portion of this invention lies in reapplying lthe conditioner fluid to the game surfaces 'at prescribed intervals between the periodic major conditioning and in the method of and in the apparatus for doing same.

Referring again .to the drawing there is shown a lane duster indicated generally at 10 having a handle 11. Although this attachment is yshown for use with a lane duster it is to be noted that the attachment may be utilized only with the handle means 11 or it may be used in conjunction with other lane cleaning equipment.

A means for reapplying the conditioner fluid to the game surface or lane is shown `as an absorbent applicator indicated generally at 60 having a floor contacting portion 61' and an upwardly extending portion 62 adapted to receive the conditioner fluid `and distribute it .to the floor contacting portion 61. The upwardly extending portion 62 is further adapted to support the floor contacting portion 61 in conjunction with strips 63 and 64 positioned on each side of the upwardly extending portion 62. The strips 63 and 64 may be formed from plastic, aluminum or other suitable materials and may be attached to the portion 62 of the applicator 60 by means of a plurality of screws 65 or other suitable fastening means. It will be noted that strips 63 and 64 have outwardly extending flanges that form, in conjunction with the upwardly extending portion 62, a T- shaped member which is adapted to slip into a slot 54 formed in housing 50. This, of course, makes it easy to exchange a first applicator for a second applicator when the irst applicator becomes dusty or when it is desirable to utilize a different type of conditioner fluid.

The housing 50 encloses a laterally extending conduit 25 which has formed therein a plurality of perforations 26 to permit the passage of conditioner fluid from said conduit 25 to the absorbent applicator 60. In the embodiment shown the perforations 26 are located in the conduit 25 so that the expulsion of fluid through a perforation 26 strikes an inner wall 51 of the housing 50 above the distribution means 53. The distribution means 53 may comprise grooves or ridges which are adapted to conduct the conditioning uid down the side 51 of the housing 50 and evenly wto the upper portion 62 of the applicator 60.

The laterally extending conduit 25 receives a supply of conditioner fluid from storage means 30 via a supply conduit 22. For ease in assembling the apparatus shown herein the conduit 22 may be made of a flexible material such as nylon tubing.

In order that a predetermined amount of conditioning iluid may be delivered to the applicator a pump having a trigger means 21 located on the upper portion of the handle is connected between conduit 22 and storage means 30. Such pumps are available on the market and will deliver a predetermined amount, for example, ls of an ounce, per stroke of the pump or per triggering action of the trigger 21. The amount of conditioning fluid desired to be delivered to the applicator 60 depends upon the amount normally placed on the gaming surface in the original cleaning and/ or bung and conditioning application steps described hereinbefore. It also depends of course -upon the finish originally placed upon the lane and upon the material from which the lanes are constructed.

With the above variables in mind it should be noted that valve means 23 and 24 have been placed along the course of the laterally extending conduit 25 so that dif- `ferent areas of the lane may selectively receive the conditioner fluid as the attachment is moved down the lane. It is to be noted that the supply conduit 22 while shown connected to the laterally extending conduit 25 near the midpoint of same may also be connected to one end of the conduit 25 so that in conjunction with valves 23 and 24 an arrangement has been described wherein all or selected portions of the lanes may receive a reapplication of con-ditioner fluid in accordance with the variables set forth herein.

Since the attachment is designed for use with any of a number of pieces of equipment, it is desirable to have a pair of adjustable means such as 41 and 42 which allow adjustment at a 90 angle to each other so that the carrier means designated generally at 40 may have its carrying arm 45 raised or lowered or extended forwardly or taken rearwardly. The adjustment means 41 and 42 may be of any suitable type such as nut and bolt means wherein the bolt is inserted in slots formed in each of the pairs of relatively slidably arm portions ofthe carrier means 40.

The carrier arm 45 may be secured to the housing 50 which carries the laterally extending conduit 25 by bolt means 52 as seen in FIG. 3.

Normally a duster of the general type shown in the drawings is utilized by the bowling alley proprietor between each league shift to remove dust, dirt and other objects that may interfere with the trajectory of the ball, from the lanes between each league shift. This requires a minimum amount of time but it does remove conditioner iluid from the lane and changes the action of the ball with respect to the alley after each dusting. By utilizing the reapplicator apparatus the bowling lane proprietor may reapply the conditioner fluid at the same time as he performs his dusting or, since the reapplicator may be made of a dusting type material, i.e., felt, etc. the reapplicator may be utilized alone to remove the dust while reapplying the conditioner fluid to the alley.

As has been discussed hereinbefore, the duster and the reapplicator may both be used for portions of the alley or may be selectively used for different portions of the alley depending upon the alleys themselves and the type of conditioner uid being used.

The use of this attachment requires no more time than is already consumed in dusting or otherwise manually cleaning the alleys between league shifts or after a predetermined number of games have been bowled on each lane. In bowling the ability to score lies in the ability to deliver the ball in the same way each time. However, this ability to deliver the ball in the same way will not produce the best scoring if the surfaces of the alleys or lanes are constantly changing over the entire day. With the method and apparatus described herein a bowling lane proprietor could recondition the alley after each game, if desired, in order to maintain a maximum opportunity for competition. Experimental results to date indicate that bowling averages per man have raised approximately ten pins per game, thus pointing up the improvements in lane conditioning.

In conclusion, it is pointed out that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of our invention, we do not limit ourselves to the exact details shown, since modification of the same may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Having described the invention, we claim:

1. An attachment for handle-support means of a manually driven bowling lane cleaner or the like for quickly and selectively applying conditioner fluid to the surface of a lane while pushing said cleaner along said lane comprising a laterally extending absorbent applicator, conditioner fluid storage means, conduit means for conducting said liuid to said absorbent applicator, means for selectively controlling the flow of said conditioner uid to said applicator, and means for removably securing said attachment to said cleaner, said conduit means including a laterally extending conduit portion having spaced perforations formed therein adapted to feed said uid to said applicator, said selective controlling means including a manually operable pump adapted to dispense a predetermined amount of fluid from said storage means to said conduit means on each stroke of said pump.

2. An attachment according to claim 1 in which said selective controlling means further includes at least one valve means located in said laterally extending conduit .portion and operative to divert fluid flow to sections of said conduit portion to condition only part of the lane when desired.

3. A conditioner attachment for a game surface cleaner comprising a laterally extending absorbent applicator; conditioner fluid storage means; conduit means for conducting said fluid to said absorbent applicator including a laterally exten-ding conduit having spaced perforations formed therein adapted to feed said fluid to said applicator; means for housing said laterally extending conduit portion; and means for removably securing said absorbent applicator to said housing; said removable securing means including a slot formed in said housing and' a T-shaped upper section of said absorbent applicator adapted to be slidably inserted into said slot.

4. A conditioner attachment for a game .surface cleaner comprising a laterally extending absorbent applicator; conditioner fluid storage means; conduit means for conducting said fluid to said absorbent applicator including a laterally extending conduit having spaced perforations formed therein adapted to feed said fluid to said applicator; means for housing said laterally extending conduit portion; and means for removably securing said absorbent applicator to Said housing; said housing means having means formed in a surface opposite said perforations for evenly distributing the flow of said conditioner fluid across said surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1962 Ewing 15-563 4/1963 Wroten 15-1035 

1. AN ATTACHMENT FOR HANDLE-SUPPORT MEANS OF A MANUALLY DRIVEN BOWLING LANE CLEANER OR THE LIKE FOR QUICKLY AND SELECTIVELY APPLYING CONDITIONER FLUID TO THE SURFACE OF A LANE WHILE PUSHING SAID CLEANER ALONG SAID LANE COMPRISING A LATERALLY EXTENDING ABSORBENT APPLICATOR, CONDITIONER FLUID STORAGE MEANS, CONDUIT MEANS FOR CONDUCTING SAID FLUID TO SAID ABSORBENT APPLICATOR, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF SAID CONDITIONER FLUID TO SAID APPLICATOR, AND MEANS FOR REMOVABLY SECURING SAID ATTACHMENT TO SAID CLEANER, SAID CONDUIT MEANS INCLUDING A LATERALLY EXTENDING CONDUIT PORTION HAVING SPACED PERFORATIONS FORMED THEREIN ADAPTED TO FEED SAID FLUID TO SAID APPLICATOR, SAID SELECTIVE CONTROLLING MEANS INCLUDING A MANUALLY OPERABLE PUMP ADAPTED TO DISPENSE A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF FLUID FROM SAID STORAGE MEANS TO SAID CONDUIT MEANS ON EACH STROKE OF SAID PUMP. 